lShe was one of the finalists in MasterChef India Season 2.

lStarted her culinary journey in Amritsar at the age of 11.

lHer first teacher? “My mother Tripat. She was a great cook. She used to cook Chinese and continental food in those days. Inspired by her, the passion for food runs in my blood now.”

lAfter marrying businessman and foodie Harpreet Singh, Jyoti spent some years in Kashmir. “My mom-in-law took over my training from where my mom left off.”

lCurrently working on a book on the food of undivided Punjab. “I am excited about the book!” said the lively mother of two girls and a boy.

What’s the USP of Punjabi food?

Punjabi food is very simple. It’s not just about cream, cashew paste and all things heavy. It is simple and healthy home-cooked food. In Punjabi cuisine, we try to retain the taste and flavour of the basic ingredient of a dish. If I am making a lauki (bottle gourd) ki sabzi, then I will not let onions overpower the lauki. Amritsar has a cuisine of its own.

Some typical vegetables in a Punjabi kitchen?

Carrot, pea, cauliflower, sarson ka saag and spinach.

Spices that define Punjabi food…

Primarily coriander, cumin and garam masala. One star spice is kasuri methi. If you cook butter chicken and it does not have kasuri methi it is incomplete. Then we have chaat masala. Be it salad, Amritsari Macchhi or any snack, some chaat masala does the job! The other key ingredient to many a Punjabi dish is jeera (cumin). We roast the jeera and it does the trick.

Must-have ingredients in a Punjabi kitchen?

Onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, milk and curd.

What is the most common cooking process in Punjab?

Tandoor is the most authentic. If you go to the village side, every household has a tandoor or a chulha.

One dish without which a Punjabi meal is incomplete?

Dal. Urad dal. Not toor dal. The ideal concoction is dal, desi ghee and lots of ginger, so that it doesn’t bloat your stomach. And I must add achaar (pickle). In older times, achaar used to be a way of preserving food for rough times like droughts and floods. Now, it has become a must-eat item. My kitchen is loaded with achaar.

If you were to design a Punjabi platter for an alien, which five items will you put together?

I guess aliens will mostly eat non-veg. So for them, the platter will have Pede Ki Lassi, Amritsari Macchhi, Dhabe Ka Chicken, Amritsari Lamb, Keema Naan, and Dal Pinni.

Besides Punjabi food, which cuisine is your most favourite?

I love Lebanese and Mexican food a lot.

What: Kolkata to Amritsar = 0km, a Punjabi food festival in association with t2

Where: Durbari, Swissotel

On till: November 27

Timing: 7pm to 11pm (Tuesday to Friday), 12.30pm to 4pm and 7pm to 11pm (Saturday and Sunday)

Pocket pinch: Individual items on the a la carte menu start at

Rs 160 and go up to Rs 900-plus.

Kitchen talk: “We started the Punjabi food festival last year. This time we have Jyoti Arora, who has brought in some of her own creations and designed the menu. Being such a lively person, she’s going to interact with guests who drop in,” said Marco Saxer, GM of Swissotel.

Pictures: B. Halder